Kla breaks the news
By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb
Did you know
Kla used to work in marketing.
Channel 7 news anchor Chaianan Panchu (Kla) is noted for his down-to-earth personality and great ability in reporting both serious news and entertaining issues.
Aside from running the evening news, the award-winning anchor presents on the agriculture programme Kaset Special, as well as on Chaianan Jadtem, a show that introduces viewers to various unusual careers.
Before becoming a household name with Channel 7, Kla went through plenty of tough training by working as a reporter. Though the 35-year-old Nan native is well informed when it comes to general knowledge, he specialises in agriculture and social interest issues.
Student Weekly recently met up with Kla at Channel 7 to hear all about his work and to get some advice for readers who are interested in working as news anchors.
Student Weekly: What were you like when you were younger?
Kla: I was a trainee DJ during high school. One day the DJ couldn’t make it to the radio station, so I had to run the programme by myself. It was a very exciting two hours and I was really happy. After that I became interested in public speaking.
Student Weekly: How did you become interested in agriculture?
Kla: Our country is a farming nation, so I became interested in agriculture news. I try to keep the news up to date and relevant for farmers. A lot of Thai people work in farming, and if they can’t make a profit the local economy won’t grow.
Student Weekly: Were you excited the first time you presented a prime time news programme?
Kla: I felt like my heart was popping out of my chest! Before presenting prime time news, every anchor must get experience presenting short news breaks in the morning, at noon and late at night. But I was so excited that I had to pinch my legs to stop them from shaking.
Student Weekly: Do you still feel excited when you present?
Kla: I still feel excited, but I’m calmer now and ready to handle anything unexpected. Recently there was a problem with the voice recording for a scoop and the stage director told me to stall for time. I knew that the scoop was about an elephant invading farms, so I talked about it until they fixed the problem.
Student Weekly: What are the main qualifications that an anchor should have?
Kla: An anchor doesn’t need to be handsome like a model, but he must have a great personality and good presentation skills. You need to be able to read and speak every word clearly to make viewers understand the news easily. Also, an anchor should never add personal opinions to the news because that would be bias.
Student Weekly: What’s the best thing about working as an anchor?
Kla: I’m happy to have realised my dreams, but you never stop learning when it comes to news reporting.
Student Weekly: Is there a downside to your career?
Kla: I don’t have much time for my personal life. Working on weekends or even seven days a week isn’t unusual.
Student Weekly: What has been the most impressive moment in your career so far?
Kla: I like my current segment on Chaianan Jadtem the most. It’s about unusual careers. The first one we did was about a rescue team. I had to stay with them all night to see how they rescue people who have accidents.
As a host, I have to take part in whatever happens. We worked on one story about a tiger trainer and I had to go into the tiger’s cage. That was scary!
Student Weekly: Do you have any other advice for readers who would like to work as news anchors?
Kla: An aspiring anchor must be interested in the news and keep up to date with current affairs. You also need to learn how to pronounce every word clearly and correctly. Don’t be shy about reading out loud to strangers. I did that and got some great feedback which helped me to improve. Be prepared and wait for a good opportunity.
Vocabulary
- anchor (n): a person who presents a radio or television programme and introduces reports by other people
noted (adj): well known because of a special skill or feature
down-to-earth (adj): sensible and practical, in a way that is helpful and friendly
agriculture (n): the science or practice of farming
household name (n): a name that has become very well known; a famous person
native (n): connected with the place where you were born and lived for the first years of your life
well informed (adj): having or showing knowledge or information about many subjects or about one particular subject
prime time (n): the time when the greatest number of people are watching television or listening to the radio
pinch (adj): to take a piece of somebody’s skin between your thumb and first finger and squeeze hard
scoop (n): a piece of important or exciting news that is printed or broadcast before other news outlets know about it
stall (v): to make somebody wait so that you have more time to do something
bias (n): a strong feeling in favour of or against one group of people, one side of an argument, etc. often not based on fair judgement
realise (v): to achieve something important that you very much want to do
aspiring (adj): wanting to start the career or activity that is mentioned
current affairs (n): events of political or social importance that are happening now
